95 Laurent Corton

Dinner at La Maison.

1995 Hospices de Beaune Corton Cuvée Charlotte Dumay, élevé par Dominique Laurent - drank 30 minutes after double-decanting. Kinda astringent and grippy on the palate, but got better after tasting some butter and bread. Nice nose of cassis, with a little leather. There was still some sweetness on the palate amidst the acidity.

Full post on dinner is here.

2016 Filhot Gold Reserve

Drinking in the air.

1996 Filhot Gold Reserve - nose of acetone, orange blossom water, saffron, orange rind, honey. Pretty sweet on the palate, especially after eating some curry. A little bitter on the palate like orange bitters.

2009 Ogier Côte-Rôtie

Dinner at Gaggan at Louis Vuitton, Bangkok.

2009 Ogier Côte-Rôtie - very fragrant nose, with lots of eucalyptus and cedar. Tannins have softened up by now, and the wine was drinking beautifully after more than an hour, showing black cherries and cassis.

Full post on dinner is here.

Bongwater with Vlad

Dinner at Ms. Maria and Mr. Singh in Bangkok.

2018 Werlitsch Ex Vero II - a little toasty on the nose, and more ripe on the palate than expected.

2021 Takahiko Soga Nana-Tsu-Mori - really nice and fruity, very fragrant on the nose, lovely and alluring. This was more concentrated than expected compared to the 2020.

2018 Pedres Blanques - pretty rich on the palate, and still got a little bit of tannins here. A little bit of red fruits on the nose.

Drinking at Sing Sing Theater, Bangkok.

Billecart Salmon Brut Rosé - always nice to drink.

Full post on the evening is here.

Bijofu and Katsuyama

Dinner at Nikushou.

Bijofu Junmai Daiginjo Yumebakari Time (美丈夫 純米大吟醸 夢許 Time), 2023 - seimaibuai of 30%. Nice and starchy rice on the nose, along with musk melon and some fermentation notes. Relatively dry on the palate. Later on this got a little sweeter mid-palate and on the finish.

Katsuyama Junmai Daiginjo Hyojuku (勝山 純米大吟醸 氷熟貯蔵酒), 2020 - seimaibuai of 35%. Nose was really rich and starchy, and a little sweet. Very soft, supple, and elegant on the palate. Then a little later the palate suddenly became more dry.

2002 Kongsgaard Syrah - drank after 1 hour in the decanter. Nose was really fragrant, almost jammy, with really concentrated notes of cassis, black fruits, some lovely woodsy notes and spices plus leather. Drinking so well right now.

Full post on dinner is here.

Riesling and Rhone

Lunch at Luk Yu Tea House.

2021 Rappenhof Riesling E² - a little flinty on the nose with some lemon. Good acidity on the palate.

2004 Pax Venus - nose was very much oxidized but others felt it was simply natural aging. Notes of pineapple, Chinese angelica, and a little metallic rust.

2014 Gramona Corpinnat III Lustros, disgorged July 2022 - really nice on the palate and nicely balanced. A little acidity here but very smooth, without being too sweet or ripe.

2019 Château-Grillet Côtes-du-Rhône Blanc - the nose was very fragrant and floral, with stone fruits and some flint.

2022 Ogier Condrieu La Combe de Malleval - the nose was really floral and fragrant, with tropical fruits.

2016 Gangloff Condrieu - very alcoholic on the nose with notes of acetone.

1990 Maximin Grünhäuser Herrenberg Kabinett - this was really nice, with plenty of lemon and polyurethane on the nose. Good acidity on the palate, almost bordering on being sharp, with a very long finish. The wine was much more viscous on the palate than expected, and just drinking beautifully.

2018 Keller Westhofen Kirchspiel Riesling Großes Gewächs - very big nose of polyurethane. Good amount of acidity on the palate.

2020 Ogier Syrah La Rosine - drunk much too young. Notes of blueberries as well as metallic nose.

2011 Ogier Côte-Rôtie Lancement - this was pretty elegant, very smooth on the palate, with notes of leather on the nose.

Full post on lunch is here.

A pair of 1981s

Dinner at Caprice.

2014 Delamotte Blanc de Blancs - nose was very yeasty with notes of brioche. Ripe but not too sweet on the palate with good depth. Pretty elegant and alluring.

1981 Guigal La Landonne - served without decanting about 30 minutes after opening. This was showing beautifully, with lovely notes of leather, prunes, black cherries, and almost a hint of floral fragrance. Color was lighter than the '81 Grange. Also showed a bit of smokiness both on the nose and on the palate.

1981 Penfolds Grange - served without decanting right after opening. Nose was more green and grassy than expected. About 30 minutes later this was more minty, and lacking the coconut butter that usually comes with this wine and this vintage. Still some oak on the nose, sweet but not the same richness typical of Grange. More than 1½ hours later there was a little more sweet fruit, a little smoke, then some savory minerals and black olives more than 2 hours after opening. Unfortunately I do think there was a little cork taint here. Not bad to the point of the wine being undrinkable, but just very disappointing and not really enjoyable.

2014 Yquem, en imperial - nose of orange blossom water, saffron, beeswax, and a little candied pineapple. Really nice.

Full post on dinner is here.

Sake pairing

Dinner at Godenya.

Iseno Shiroki Junmai Nama Sparkling (伊勢の白酒 純米生活性), 2022-23 - served at 10°C. Seimaibuai (精米歩合) of 65%. Love the lactic acid and fermented rice flavors. Fruity and lively, with good sweetness and acidity.

Yukinobosha Junmai Daiginjo Nama Genshu No. 129 (雪の茅舎 純米大吟醸 生酒原酒 第百二十九番), 2023-24 - served at 12°C. Seimaibuai of 35%. Very sweet on the attack, very clean flavors compared to the Iseno Shiroki. Slightly dry towards the finish with a bit of fermentation.

Kaiun Junmai Nama (開運 無濾過 純米生), 2023-24 - served at 14°C. Seimaibuai of 55%. Very thick and viscous on the palate. Sweet but also dry on the palate.

Okuharima Junmai Daiginjo Denju Nama (奥播磨 純米大吟醸 伝授 生), R4BY - served at 17°C. Seimaibuai of 38%. Definitely a lot of complexity and depth, with umami and some fermented flavors.

Hikomago Junmai Wood Cask (ひこ孫 純米 樽酒), 2020-21 - served at 48°C. Seimaibuai of 55%. The flavors from the wooden cask was pretty strong, and this was more savory on the palate.

Tamazakura Junmai Nama Nigori (玉櫻 とろとろにごり 純米生), R5BY - served at 11°C. Seimaibuai of 70%. There was a good amount of sweetness, but a little dry at the same time.

Suwaizumi Awa Yamadanishiki Junmai (諏訪泉 阿波山田錦 純米), H20BY - served at 49°C. seimaibuai of 60%. This was really fragrant on the nose. Nice and relatively clean flavors.

Full post on dinner is here.

Champagne and Cali

Dinner at home.

Eric Rodez Grand Cru Rosé, dégorgée Avril 2022 - yeasty nose with good amount of red fruits, a little flint and minerals. Good complexity here.

2003 Kongsgaard Syrah - drank 15 minutes after decanting. The nose was beautiful! Really sweet and jammy, with blackcurrant, blackberries, a slight hint of metal and iron rust, a little leather, which opened up to a bigger nose. Some 2 hours after decanting this was a little on the warm side, but still going pretty strong.

1999 Etude Cabernet Sauvignon - drank a little more than 1 hour after decanting. Good concentration on the palate, with the color still inky. Smoky nose with graphite and a little woodsy notes. Showing really nicely some 2 hours after decanting.